Slip-rail frog for railroads



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet I. BURNETT & E. FOLLIOTT.

SLIP RAIL FROG FOR RAILROADS. No. 349,689. PatentedSept. 28, 1886.-

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. f I. BURNETT & E. FOLLIOTT.

SLIPBAIL FROG FOR RAILROADS. No. 349,689. Patented Sept;28, 1886.

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'I. BURNETT 8: E. FOLLIOTT. SLIP RAIL FROG FOR RAILROADS.

No. 349,689. Patented Sept; 28, 1886.

(No Mddel.) 4'sheets sneet 4.

- I. BURNETT & E; POLL IOTT J SLIP RAIL FROG FOR RAILROADS.

No. 349,689. I Patented Sept. 28, 1886. 1911,

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UNITED ST TES PATENT OF ICE.

ISAAC BURNETT AND'ELMER FOLLIOTT, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS.

SLIP-RAIL FROG FOR RAILROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 349,689, dated September2 8, 1886.

Application filed May 17, 1886. Serial No. 202,41!!! (No model.)

Be it known that we, ISAAC BURNETT and ELMER FoLLIoTr, citizens of the United States of America, residing at J oliet, in the county of Vill and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Slip-Rail Frogs for Railroads, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This'invention relates to certain improvements in slip-rail frogs for railroads, which improvements are fully set forth and explained in the following specification and claims, reference being had to the said drawings and the letters and figures thereon, forming a part of this specification, similar letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a main track and side track of a railroad, showing the frog and its operating attachments as it would appear in service. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a section of a railroad-track, showing the slip-rail frog of the switch and the immediate parts for operating said slip-rail. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sec ti onal view of the cranked sheave-wheel of the secondaryswitch-stand, taken on a line at the side of its peripheral cable-groove. Fig. 4 is a vertical central cross-section of the secondary switch-stand and its sheave-wheel. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lower plate of the secondary switch-stand, to show its segmental slot. Fig. 6 is a side view of "one of the bolts for securing the parts of said switch-stand together. 7 is a perspective view of-one of the tubular supportii'ig-stiuls of said switch-stand. Fig. 8 is a plan view of a section of a railroad-track, showing the point switch1'ails and the immediate parts for operating them. Fig. 9 is a side View of an automatic switch-stand having a portion of its base broken away to show its interior mechanism. Fig. 10 is a cross-section of Fig. 8, taken 011 line 2, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section of a portion of the slip-rail of the frog, taken on a line immediately below the tread of the rails, showing the manner of the attachment of the slip-rail to the two converging trackrails forming the irogpoint. Fig. 12 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the supporting-plate of the frog, showing the manner Fig.

of the attachment of the slip-rail to it. 'Fig. 13 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the two converging track-rails forming the frog-point, taken on a line immediately below their tread to show their soeketed end, to which the slip-rail joints. Fig. 14. is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the slip-rail of the frog, taken on a line immediately below its tread, showing its rounded heel end, which joints to the soeketed end of 'the frog-point. Fig. 15 is a perspectix e view of the forked fishplate for attaching the slip-rail to the frogpoint pivotally. Fig. 16 is a crosssectional view of Fig. 2, taken on line 3, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 17 is a side View of one of the auxiliary supporting-rails, showing a section of a fixed track-rail and of the slip-rail and a section of their supporting-plate. Fig. 18 is a view of the soeketed end of the frogpoint, showing the recess between them for the reception of the fish-plate for connecting it pivotally with the slip-rail. Fig. 19 is a crosssectional view of the slip-rail and its supporting bed-plate, taken on line 4 of Fig.

12, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the plates for holding and connecting'the slip-rail to its supporting-bed; and Fig. 21' is a view showing a pair of arms for substituting the sheave-wheels and of a pair of rods for substituting the wire cables.

In the drawings, R Rrepresent the parts of the main track, and R R the rails of a side track, one of each terminating in the two pointed switch-rails O and 0 connected by means of the tie-rods Z Z. I

P is a supporting-plate forming the base of the frog, supporting at one end the converging ends of both a main andside track rail forming the frog-point, and supporting theseparated ends of a main and side track rail at its opposite end. 7 r

S is a slip-rail resting on said plate P, and having its heel pivotally soeketed to the frogpoint, and its opposite toe end free to move laterally to form either a section ot' the main or side track, as may be desired. The frogpoint is soeketed, as shown at S in Figs. 2. 11, 12, and14, to receive the rounded form S of the heel of the slip-rail S.

The manner of pi'votally attaching the heel of the sliprail to the frog-point is shown pan ticularly in Fig. 11, by means of the forked fish-plate J, shown in perspective in Fig. 15,

to show its exact form. The forked end of said fish-plate forks over the web at the slip- 5 rail at itslieel, and is secured thereon by means ofbolts passing through, as shown, while its opposite shanked end enters the chamber in the frog-point, as shown in. Fig. 11. This chamber is formed by the space between the two rails forming the frog-point, and is shown particularly in Fig. 18. The form of said chamber diverges so its rearward part is wider than its front part, so the end of the fish-plate therein may have somelateral movementto per- 1 5 mit lateral movement of the toe of the slip-rail.

Said slip-rail also attaches to the supportingplate 1?, as shown in Figs. 12 and 19. Said plate is provided with a segmental transverse slot, N, immediately beneath said slip-rail near its heel for the reception of the segmental slide N, placed between said slip-rail and the plate N, and the three parts are held together by means of rivets or bolts, as shown in Fig.

19. Thelength of slotN permits lateral movement of the slide N therein when the slip-rail to which it is attached is moved, and by this means an additional fastening of the slip-rail to said supportingplate is obtained. A

pair of auxiliary supporting-rails, 0 c, are at- 0 tached to said plate P by means of rivets, and

bolted, respectively, to the outside of the end of both the main and side track rails, as shown in Figs. 2, 16, and 17, and so they overlap the joint between said rails and the toe of the 5 slip-rail, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 17, to

bear the weight of the carwheels at said joint, and more particularly furnish a backing to said slip-rail and hold it firmly in place.

The toe of the slip-rail S connects through the 0 medium of connecting-rod B with the crank pin G on thelower face of sheave-wheel \V of theswitch-stand H, as shown in Figs. 1,2,3, and

4, and the pointed ends of the switch-rails O and O are connected through the medium of 5 rods m and m with crank-pin G on the lower face of sheavewheel WV of the automatic switchstand T, as shown in Figs. 1, 8, 9, and 10.

The said sheave-wheels are connected by means of the wire cables D D. These cables have screw-threaded shanksb on their ends for passing through the integral lugst of said sheavewheels for securing them to said sheaves, and

to furnish means for giving the proper tension to said cables.

The switch-stand H is shown in detail in Fig. 4, and consists of the two horizontallyarranged plates F and F, bolted to bed-timbers by means of bolts 6 at each corner, and

held separated and above said timbers by means of tubularstuds Q, sleeved on said bolts 6. The sheave-wheel \V is placed between said plates, and its trunnions d and d journal centrally in said plates, as shownin said figure and in Fig. 1. The lower plate, F, is provided with a segmental annular slot, G, for

the reception of crank-pin G on the lower side of said sheave, which crank-pin bears the connecting-rod B. The passage of said'crankpin through said slot restricts its rotation to the limits of said slot, and prevents said connecting-rod, which lies on said plate F, from dropping off said crank-pin. This auxiliary switch-stand H may be housed on its sides, as shown in Fig. 1, andin cross-section in Fig. 2, and in such instance the pipes E E screw into the side of said housiiig,'as shown in said figures, in such manner and in such position that the cables 1) D may pass through them for protection.

Switch-stand T (shown in Figs. 1 and 9) connecting with switch-stand H by means of said cables and the pipes E E, and with the point switch-rails of the'track, is what is termed an automatic switch-stand, for the reason that its construction permits the flanges of the wheels of a passing car to move the switchrails and slip-rail when by accident they are left set for the wrong track, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. The construction of said switch-stand'T is substantially as fol lows:

K is a stationary base fixed to bed-timbers. Within this base is perpendicularly arranged a shaft, 1), boxed in a cross-plate near its lower end, and in a feathered clutch, 1, located within and near the top of said base, said clutch being yieldingly supported by means of a coil-spring sleeved on said shaft, and resting on the box near the lower end of said shaft. A head, I, is placed on the top of said base, and is provided with a depending clutch arranged to clutch with feathered and yielding clutch I. This head is provided with a square socket for the reception of the square shank 1 depending from a sliding head sleeved on square shaft y. which is integral with and a continuation of shaft 22. The lever his pivotally secured to a sleeve on shaft y and connected with said shanked head by means of a link, L. WVhen said lever is raised, shank 1 will be raised and disconnected from head I, and the shaft y 1) may then be rotated to operate the switch independently from and without moving the said clutches; but when the said lever is down and said shank is socketed in head I, said shaft cannot turn without turning head I with it, and if the said shaft is then turned it must be done under pressure or strain on sheave-wheel W or on a lever, h, and in such instance clutch I must be depressed on spring sleeved on shaft 2) to permit its fellow clutch of head I to shift position, the beveled form' of said clutches permitting such shift. The auxiliary supporting-rails 0 chave the ends of their tread rounded or beveled, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 17, so they may present an inclined approach for the car-wheels in passing over them, and are for the purpose of giving lateral support to the two fixed trackrails and the slip-rail of the frog, and also to bridge over the point at that place. NVhen the switch is set for the main track, the cranks G and G of the sheave-wheels NV WV are turned so their rail connecting rodswill be on dead-centers to hold the switch locked in such position; but when the switch is set for the side track, then the said cranks are turned one-fourth way around to hold said connecting-rods midway between dead-centers, so the wheels of a passing car can press the slip-rail S of the frog to one side and automatically set the point switchrails for the main track through the medium of said switch-stands and cables, should the switch be left set by mistake for the side track. It will thus be seen that the use of the auto matic switch-stand is for the purpose of permitting the wheels of a passing train to set the switch right should it be by mistake left open and set for the wrong track. The springelutch in said stand is intended to be of sufficient strength to hold the switch set for either track, and-preventits being moved by a passing train on the track for which it is set; but not of such strength as to prevent the wheels of a train on the track for which it is left open from automatically moving the slip-rail and switch-rails, as stated, and set them for the main track, and thereby prevent the trainfrom being derailed. It is not necessary to use this particular kind of automatic switch-stand for this purpose. A ny switch-stand that will permit the car-wheels to so set the switch may be used.

It is intended that bedtimbers shall be used, laid in or upon the ground, for connecting and properly holding apart the two switch-stands and for supporting the cable-pipes E E, as shown in Fig. 1. 1

If desired, the sheave-whecls WV W may be substituted by the arms V W and the cables I) D may be substituted by the rods connecting said arms, as shown in Fig. 21.

The operation of this switch is as follows, substantially: When it is set to form continuous rails for the main track, then side pressure on the slip-rail will not misplaee the switch, as the cranked ends of the connectingrods connecting the switch-rails and slip-rail with the switch-stands are on dead-centers of their cranks, and cannot be moved until lever h of switch-stand T is raised so its square shank 1 will be disengaged from the square socket of head 1, when said lever may then be easily turned to rotate shaft y o, as described, to partially rotate cranked sheavewheels \V W within the limits of the slot in plate F and operate the connecting-rods connecting said cranks with the switch-rails and slip-rail of the frog, as stated, the pressure of the coilspring of switch-stand T on clutch 1 being too great for the strength of a personto shilt the clutch to operate theswitch. Should the switch be set for the side track carelessly, and a train should come do W11 the main track, (see Fig. 1,)

then of course the train would take the side track, and could be stopped before going far; but should a train moving up the main track (see said Fig. l) approachtthe switch when set for the side track, as stated, the flanges of the derailed at the frog or switch.

By the use of an automatic switchstand, in combination with the slip-rail frog and the, auxiliary stand, as described, the common socalled stubswiteh is rendered automatic and perfectly safe, equally so-as a split or point switch, as, when a wheel passes through the slip-rail frog, it will as readily adjust a stubswitch to safety as it will a point-switch, as one performs the same service as the other.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows, to wit:

1. In a railroad-switch, a frog-point formed from the converging ends of two fixed track rails having a recess between them and a socketed point, in combination with the slip-rail S, having its heel pivoted to said frog-point at its socket. and the forked fish-plate J, for connecting said frog-point and slip-rail, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a railroad-switch, a frog-point having a socketed point, in combination with a slip rail jointed thereto at said socket, forked fishplate J plate 1?, having slot N, plate N and slide N, connecting said plate l\ witlfsaid slip rail and traversing said slot, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the fixed railroadtracks R R and It R, of pointed switch-rails O and 0, slip-rail S, plate, P, connectingrods B m m, switch-stand H, having the cranked sheave-wheel W, automatic switch-stand '1, having the cranked sheave-wheel V, and the cables D D for connecting said sheaves. substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4t. In a railroadswitch, the combination, with the fixed rails R R and R R, of the slip frog rail S,socketed to the frogpoint and held down upon its bed-plate by means of the sliding plate N secured thereto, of the bed-plate P,

and the auxiliary supporting-rails c 0, having their treads of equal height with the said fixed rails and inclined at either end, and arranged at the side of and secured to said fixed rails in such manner as to form lateral support for the movable end of said slip-frog rail, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with an automatic switchstand, constructed and arranged substantially as shown and described, the secondary switchstand H, cables D D, forconnectin g said switchstands, connecting-rods B, m, and m, pointswitch rails O and O, slip-frog rail. S, and the fixed track-rails R It and R It, as and for the purpose set forth.

ISAAC BURNETT. ELMER FOLLIOTT. Witnesses:

WV. J. HUTOHINS, T. H. HUTOHINS. 

